Fence-post.



C. H. MYERS.

FENCE POST. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23, 1910. RENEWED MAR. 14, 1912.

Patented Oct. 22, 1912.

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CHARLES H. MYERS, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

FENCE-POST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1912.

Application filed March 23, 1910, Serial No. 551,054. Renewed March 14, 1912. Serial No. 683,715.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. MYERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo. in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Fence- Post, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in fence posts.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of fence posts, and to provide a simple, inexpensive and eflicient fence post, which will be fire proof, frost proof and lightning proof and which will be adapted to support both fence and telegraph or telephone wires, whereby it will be particularly adapted for fencing railroads.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fence post of this character, which will obviate the necessity of digging post holes and which will enable wire fences to be easily, conveniently and rapidly erected.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claim, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing :Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fence post, constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the lower end of the upper section or member of the post. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the lower section or base of the post. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lower portion of the fence post. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view, illustrating the manner of supporting the insulators. Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the fence post, which is composed of an upper section or member 1, and a lower section or base 2, is constructed of angle metal of uniform width, preferably cheap steel, which has been found by experience to be more durable when exposed to the weather than a higher grade of steel, but any suitable material may be employed in the construction of the fence post. The angle metal consists of two flat sides or wings arranged substantially at right angles to each other, but the angle formed by the sides or wings may be varied. The lower section or base 2 is tapered or pointed at the lower end 3 to enable it to be readily driven into the ground without digging a post hole, and as it is composed only of two sides or wings, arranged at an angle to each other, it is not affected by the frost.

The upper portion of the lower section or base of the fence post is stamped by a suitable die to form a central longitudinal ap proximately semi-cylindrical portion at and flat side portions 5. The semi-cylindrical portion at and the flat side portions 5 merge at their lower ends into the angular faces of the sides or wings of the lower section or base, and the upper edges of the intermediate and side portions are arranged flush, as shown. The intermediate semi-cylindrical portion 4 provides an inner groove and constitutes a partial socket, adapted to receive an interfitting intermediate portion 6 of the upper section or member of the fence post. The upper section or member is stamped or otherwise formed at its lower end to provide an intermediate portion (3 and flat side portions 7. The flat side portions, which are fitted against each other, are arranged at the side edges of the fence post. The intermediate portion (3. which is approximately semi-cylindrical in cross scction, is tapered at the ends, as shown, and is extended below the lower edges of the flat side portions 7, and it forms an exterior rib and fits within the groove of the intermediate portion 4 of the lower section or base. The lower end of the intermediate portion 4 is tapered, and the groove at the inner face thereof is correspondingly tapered to enable the parts to fit together, as illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing. The lower section is provided at opposite sides of its inter mediate portion with downwardly extending longitudinal slots 8, and the upper sec tion is provided at opposite sides of its in termediate port-ion 6 with upwardly extending slots 9 to enable the parts to interfit and interlock, as clearly shown in Fig. l of the drawing. The semi-cylindrical intermediate portions 4 and 6 are struck on difierent arcs, and when the parts are assembled a wedge 10 is driven into the groove of the intermediate portion 4:, being interposed between the inner concave face thereof and the convex face of the intermediate portion 6 of the upper section or member of the fence post. By this construction the upper and lower sections are securely fastened in their interlocked relation. The wedge 10 is provided with a head 11, which abuts against the upper edge of the intermediate portion a of the lower section or base of the fence post, and the wedge may be withdrawn should it be desirable to remove the fence.

The fence wires 12 are secured to the fence post by means of tongues 13, formed integral with the fence post by partially severing portions of the metal of the upper section or member, and adapted to be engaged with the wires by bending them inwardly. This may be effected by a single blow of a hammer after the wires have been placed in the tongues, which extend upwardly as shown. The tongues, which are preferably tapered, curve around the fence wires and securely hold the same in the fence posts without interfering with the stretching of the wires to the desired ten sion.

In order to enable the fence to support one or more telegraph or telephone wires, the fence posts, at the desired points along the fence, are equipped with an insulator consisting of an arm let and a head, composed of a pair of insulating blocks or pieces 15. The arm 14-, which is constructed of steel, or other suitable material has an angle lower portion 16 to fit the angle of the fence post, and its lower end is provided with a i-shaped recess 17 to straddle one of the tongues 13. It is keyed in position by the adjacent fence wire, which engages a recess 18, formed at the angle or corner of the lower portion of the arm. The insulator arm is provided at an intermediate point with an out-ward bend 19 to offset its upper portion from the post, and the blocks or pieces of the insulating material are secured to the arm by a bolt 20, or other suitable means. The inner faces of the blocks or sections of the insulating material are grooved to receive the telegraph or telephone wire 21, and while only one wire is shown, it will be apparent that it may be duplicated if desired. In practice the insulating arms will be arranged'at suitable intervals and applied to the posts when the fence is erected, while the insulator heads will be secured to the arms when it is desired to erect a telegraph or telephone line.

The fence posts besides being fire proof and frost proof renders the fence lightning proof as it grasps the fence wires and prevents electricity from traveling any distance along the same. In erecting the fence, it is unnecessary to dig post holes as the base or lower section may be easily and quickly driven into the ground, and the lower sec tion or base may also be removed from the ground without difficulty should it be desired to transfer the fence from one place to another.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to so cure by Letters Patent, is

A fence post constructed of angle metal of uniform size and comprising a lower section having its upper portion deflected forwardly and provided with a longitudinal approximately semi-cylindrical portion and having fiat side portions, the latter and the semi-cylindrical portion terminating near the center of the base and the lower port-ion of the base consisting of two straight angularly disposed sides or wings, and an upper section having its lower portion defiected forwardly and provided with an intermediate longitudinal approximately semi-cylindrical portion and fiat side portions, the upper portion of the upper section consisting of straight angularly related sides or wings, and the intermediate semi-cylindrical portion of the upper section being extended beyond the flat side portions thereof and fitted in the intermediate portion of the lower section, and the flat side portions of the upper and lower sections being overlapped and fitted against each other.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. MYERS.

Witnesses:

HAROLD H. CLARK, ALBERT HOENER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents, Washington, D. C. 

